Red Eyed Legends

Here's a sure-fire invitation to hatemail: My world would be just fine without the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and other New York scenesters that would do your biology homework for you if you paid them enough but couldn't share an unironic moment if the presidency of these United States depended on it. That's why it's entirely illogical for me to like this faux-Brit pinball dance of a song from Red Eyed Legends as much as I do. Maybe it's their Midwestern roots that make their post-no wave head-jerking sound so free of pretense even though they're trying so damned hard to be pretentious. If there's any musical lesson to be learned from the recent election it's that we New Yorkers are way out of touch — it's the middle of America that shapes our collective conscious, so listen up.

Cold in the Sun [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]

www.redeyedlegends.com
www.file-13.com

The Silent League

The former keyboardist for Mercury Rev creates his own sweetly damaged sway-songs for kids who prefer Brooklyn to the metropolis across the river.

Breathe [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]

www.file-13.com
www.thesilentleague.com

TRS-80

I keep thinking CLOADM "donkey"...sorry. I actually played a Donkey Kong clone on my TRS-80, loaded from cassette. These tracks are much better than Donkey Kong; reminiscent of DJ Shadow's work with UNKLE.

Phantom Power [MP3, 3.2 MB, 128kbps]
Math Basket [MP3, 4.06 MB, 128kbps]

08/24/06 Update: TRS-80 New Album + MP3

www.file-13.com
www.trs80.com